Traveling can be an exciting, adventurous experience that is full of new sights, sounds, and smells. For people with an unpredictable bladder, the fear of losing control can quickly turn a dream holiday into a nightmare. As we age, many of us face the challenge of bladder problems, which undermine self-confidence, increase anxiety, limit choices of activities, and most importantly, disrupt our travel plans.
Retirement is an active time for many people. It’s a chance to travel, spend time with family, volunteer, or socialize with friends. But for people with bladder leakage or incontinence, the fear of bladder accidents looms large.
Air travel can be stressful for those with an unpredictable bladder, who fear losing control of their bodily functions. Long waits at airport security can be tedious for many, but the fear of losing control can be particularly troubling for older people with unpredictable bladders. It can be an anxiety-inducing experience that makes you dread every moment spent in public. For many people with incontinence, this is true.
Don’t let incontinence get in the way of your travel plan
Fortunately, there are many practical methods for managing bladder leakage so you can lead an active lifestyle and fulfill your vacation dreams. Below are the tips for not letting incontinence get in the way of your travel plan.
Have yourself checked
Get yourself checked out by your doctor before you leave on your trip. They will be able to tell you what kind of medication would work best for your condition and give recommendations based on your specific needs.
Pack your medications and protective stuff
You should also pack all of the things that you need for dealing with incontinence during your trip in one place so that they are easy to find when needed!
The key here is preparation. If you know ahead of time what medications will be most effective for you and where they are located, then there won’t be any surprises when it comes time to use them!
If you use a sanitary pad, consider switching to a product designed for moderate to high volume urine loss.
Plan Ahead
When traveling by bus, train, or plane, book your seats ahead of time and sit in an aisle seat so you’re close to the toilets and able to move around.
If you don’t have access to a seat map before booking your trip, ask the staff at the ticket counter for help choosing a seat with easy access to restrooms. If you can’t get an aisle seat, you should sit in the center section wherever possible—you’ll be able to move around more easily and access toilets without having to ask people to move out of your way.
Eat light breakfast
Eat a light breakfast before getting on the road. This will make sure that you’re not overly full during the drive, which can cause pressure on your bladder and lead to an accident.
Stay hydrated
Stay hydrated throughout the day by drinking water or juice with every meal and snack, but avoid caffeine and alcohol. Caffeine and alcohol both dehydrate you, which makes it harder for your body to absorb fluids through your digestive tract and helps to trigger a naturally weaker flow of urine from your bladder as well as contractions in the muscles around it (which can cause leakage).
Stay active
Don’t just sit there all day—take walks in between meals if possible, and stretch out those legs every hour or so… moving around helps prevent accidents by helping things pass more easily through your system.
Keep Calm
Stress can cause nerves in our bodies to tense up; when these nerves tense up too much, it will result in involuntary muscle contractions which may lead to an involuntary urination
A majority of sufferers of bladder leakage do not seek professional help for the condition. Don’t be one of them. Book an appointment with Desert Sky Urology. Call 480 933 5557
